Shutter mechanism for motion-picture machines



E. W. NELSON.

VSHUTTER MECHANISM FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES. APPucATloN HLED Auw. 1919.

1,417,098. Patented May 2351922. n 1g lever.

UNITED y lSTATES PATENT oFFlNcE.

ERIK W. NELSON, or NEW nooHELLnNEW YORK.

SHUTTER MECHANISM 'son MoTIoNriorruRE MACHINES.

Application led August 4, 1919. Serial Noi. 315,093.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, ERIK WV. NnLsoN, a citizen of the United States, residingin Sycamore Park, New Rochelle, in the State of New lilorlr, have invented certain new and uset'ul lmprovementsin Shutter Mechan nism 'for lvlotioirlticture Machines, oit which the followings)l .is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying` diawings, Tornnng, a part hereol'.

This invention relates to shutter mecha nisin `lor motion picture machines ofthe saine Lgeneral type as isooveredby U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,119,924, dated December 8, 1914, in which the shutter is composed ci" a plurality ol' segments wiiich are relatively adjustable tor the purpose ot regulating` the extent ot the opening in the shutter.` ln said patent the relation of the shutter segmentsy is controlled by a hand ln accordance with the present invention there is provided, in association with the adj Listingv devices, a visual indicator which is composed oi relatively movable elements constituting a miniature ot the shutter segments.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision ot means for connecting the adjusting` devices operatively with the main drive shaft of the machine whereby the anH gular relation ofthe shutter segments is automatically and constantly varied so long` said devices are connected with the main shaft. By this constructionythe dissolving effect which is now so common, is automatically secured.

Still another' object ot the inventionv is to include in a machine of. the character described manually operable means for ad` justing 'the angular relation ot the shutter segments and means tor connecting the adj usting' devices operatively to the main drive shaft so that the desired adjustment can be ell'ected manually or automatically, a visual indicator comiirisin a miniature ot the shut# ter segments beine; connected operatively to both ot such means so that `the true relation of the shutter segments is reproduced at all times by the miniature. i

Reference isnow .to be had to the accompanying drawings for a detailed description ol one embodimentof the improvements, in which Figure 1 is a view in vertical. section through a portion of' the housing; and showing so much oi' the operating mechanism of the machine `and the improved shutter mechanism as isy necessary for an understandingol the relation oit the parts to one another. j

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 1 and looking toward the lett in Figure 1.

The `main driveshatt, tor the purposes of this description,` may be considered as the vertically disposed shalt c to which rotative movement may be imparted from any usual source ot power. The shaft @carries atv its upper end, a bevel pinion o1 which meshes with a bevel gearb lined on Va transverse shaft b1 which drives the tilm feeding mechanism, part of which is conventionallyl illustrated at o1. On the lower end of the shaft a is fixed a bevel pinion a1 which meshes with a bevel gear c carriedon the face of a spur gear c1, which, in turn, meshes with a spur pinion d on the hollow drive shaft d1 for the shutter. On the shaft Z1 is fixed a cylinder e 'formed with an annular flange e1 to which is secured one ot the shutter seg" ments `j'. On the cylinder e isvmounted rotatably a sleeve g with which is mounted another shutter segment 72.. An outersleeve 'i may be supported on the sleeve (7 and be secured thereto by means ofa set screw fil, this covering` sleeveA t' having an annular flange 2 against which bears the shutter segment 72.. The open end of the cylinder e may be closed by a cap e2 `which is secured to the sleeve by meansof a set screw e3 and carries a trunnion cj* journalled in a bracket mounted on the wall 711 of `the housing. The cylinder e is formed with a spiral slot e5 and the sleeve g is formedwithvan opposed spiral Vslot g1. lViththese slots'e5, g1 engages apin l secured to a rod Z1 which is slidably" mounted in the hollow shaft (Z1. The movement of the rod Z1will effect relativerotation of the shutter segments f, h, through the engagement oit the pin Z` with the opposed slots c5, g1. This invention is concerned with the rprovision of means for moving the rod Z1, either manually or by power` and with indicating devices Jfor reproducing, in miniature, the true relation of the shutter segments at ally times.

The means for 'effecting` the manual ad justment of the shutter Vsegggments will lirst be described. The end of the rod Z1 is y grooved, as at Z2, to permit the'loose engagement therewith of an arm m which is secured to a sliding carrier a mounted for reciprocation in channeled guides 0 which may be si'ipported on the housing in any convenient manner. @n the upper tace oi' the block a formed two transverse flanges al, spaced to constitute a channel in which is loosely disposed a pin p. This pin p is carried on the lace ot a bevel gear p1 with which meshes a bevel gear p2, on the tace of which is carried a spur gear p3 to which rotative movement imparted throughl an idler gear pt and actuating gear pf'. The gear p has its hub 10 pinned to a shaft g to the end of which is secured a segment g1. 'flhe segment gl may have i'ormed therewith an arm y on which is mounted a knob g3 to all'ord a convenient grip member for manual operation. On the tace ol the segment g1 proper may also be liXed another hand knob (1*.

F rom the description ven it will be evident that when the segment g1 is rotated by hand the pin y) will be revolved around the axis oi" the gear p1 and by reason ol its engagement with the bloclr a rectilinear motion will be imparted to the latter. This movement ol the block 1i will be transmitted to the rod Z1 and the angular relation of the shutter segments It, it, will be varied in the manner heretofore described.

In order to reproduce, in miniature, the exact relation oil1 the shutter segments j', L, a visual indicator is provided ot which the segment fl is one element. The other element is a tixed disk o, which is supported in ustaiiosition to the segment if and pre'l erably has the tivo halves ot its `face ol" di'l ferent color, with respect to a horizontal median line r. The upper halt oit the face ot the dish n might, for instance, be colored dai-lr to correspond to the coloring ot the segn'ient r1 so that when the segment g1 is in the position indicated in `Figure 2, the indicator will show, as a whole, a darli: disk, thereby ini'licating that the two segments j, /z, ol the shutter are in the same relative position and constitute an unbroken shutter, 'which cuts olll all light. The lower halt o'l the disk o might be colored light, so that when the segment q1 is rotated from the position shown in -Figure 2 to change the angu* lar relation of the shutter segments f, z, a sector, light in color, will be formed between the median line r1 and one oit the radial edges oit the segment g1. This sector will be a ifaithiiul reproduction in n'iinia'ture, oetnfeen the shutter segments olf the fi j', i, through which light may pass.

ln the :improved machine there are inclu ded in Jans for connecting the rod Z1 operatively to the main source of power, so that the angular relation. oit the shutter segments j', 7L, will be automatically and constantly varied so long as the rod is thus connected to the source of power. ln accordance with the illustrated embodiment ot the invention the bevel gear p1 is carried on the lower end olf a vertical shaft s, on the upper end. olf' which is feathered a slidable clutch gear t. On the upper tace of this clutch element t rests a roller u carried on an arm 'al ol a roch shaft u2, to which is secured an operating lei/er a3. On the shaft s is loosely mounted a worm gear s' with which engages a worm o carried on the horizontal shalt o1. 0n the hub olf the worm gear sl are liormed teeth .s2 adapted to be engaged by the teeth olf the slidable clutch element t when this element is moved along the shalt s by means ot the operating lever a3 and the associated devices. Normally, the clutch element t is held out ot engagement with the worm gear s1 by means ol a suitable springfw in a manner which will be evident.

lll hen it is desired to change the angular relation between the segments y", i, automatically, the clutch t is engaged 'with the worin gear el, thereby transmitting rotative movement 'from the power shaft b1 to the bevel gear pl. The pin p then slides the block a in the manner previously described and causes, automatically7 a change in the angular relation between the shutter segmentsu V d i i lhis angular relation will be constantly varied so long as the clutch t is engaged with the worm gear el, the ell'ect being to secure a Ldissolving7 picture.

The 'variation ot the angular relation between the snutter segments /1, by the connection ot' the adjusting devices to thc source ot power will be V,faithfully reproduced by the lvisual indicator since the seg-- nient ,f is constantly connected with the bevel gear p1. 1When the relation oi: the segment y" to the dish o indicates that the shutter segments y", L, are in the desired rela tive position the :fidjusting devices 'lior said segments may be quickly disconnected from the source o'l'A power by disengaging the clutch element trom the worm gear s1.

The invention is not to be limited to the precise embodiment described herein since it is evident that the broad 'features may be realiz/Jed in structures which dilier mechanically itrom that illustrated and yet effect the desired results.

claim as my invention:

l. In a motion picture camera,y in combination with the main drive shait, a plurality ot shutter segments, devices tor changing the angular relation o'l the segmei'its, and means to connect said devices operatively with the main drive sha'lit iiicluding a sha Iii' operatively connected with said devicesj u, gear loosely mounted on the shalt, a second sha'lit driven trom the main shait and carrying` a gear in mesh with the iirst named gear, and a slidahle clutch element splincd on the lirst named shaift and cngageablc with the first named gear.

i2. ln a motion picture camera, shutter segments7 sleeves on which the segments are carried provided with opposed spiral slots, a hollow shaft to rotate one of the sleeves.l a rod slidaloljy mounted in the shaft andhavinga pin to engage the slots, a slidalole element in engagement with the rod, and means to reciprocate the sliding element.

3. In a motion picture camera, shutter segments, sleeves on which the segments are carried provided with opposed spiral slots,

a hollow shaft to rotate one of the sleeves,

rod slidahly mounted in the shaft and having a pin to engage the slots, a slidable element in engagement with the rod, manual and power means to reciprocate the sliding element and devices to disconnect the power therefrom. v

4l'. In a motion picture camera, shutter segments, sleeves on which the segments are carried provided with opposed spiral slots, a hollow shaft to rotate one of the `alole element in engagement with the rod,

manual and power means to reciprocate the sliding element, devicesto disconnect the power means therefrom, and a visual indicater connected operatively with the shutter segments to show their angular relation.

5. In a motion picture camera, shut-ter segments, sleeves on which the segments are carried, both sleeves being .provided with slots, one slot being spiral, a hollow shaft to rotate one of the sleeves, a rod slidahlv mounted in the shaft and having a pin to engage the slots, ay slidable element in engagement with the rod, and means to reciprocate the sliding element. t

This specification signed this 29th daj,7 of July, A. D., 1919.

ERIK W. NELSON. 

